Nose So Cold

Yep, it's here. Winter that is. I guess it is not officially here until the 21st, but it's unofficially here and in full swing. It even made a special appearance in Seattle last week with snow. Getting snow in Seattle is so bittersweet. Everybody wants it to come and then when it arrives, they start bitching. "It's so cold, I have to take the bus today" (wah!) and so on. Thankfully this year, it snowed for only a few hours and did not affect much. It was very sweet. Not bitter in the slightest. The cold weather is making everyone's noses red though. Makes me think of Rudolph. Also makes me think of the crazy red-haired lady on my bus, but that's another story.

Along with the cold comes another joy of winter...the holidays.

I really do love the holidays. The little twinkling lights in the trees downtown, being able to watch Rudolph, the Grinch AND Charlie Brown all in the same month, the IDEA that if I actually wanted an egg nog or candy cane latte, that I would be able to get one, the Westlake carousel...and so on.

However, the holidays also bring that unfortunate time where we feel somewhat obligated to buy our friends and family gifts. Now, I would much prefer to spread this gift giving (and receiving) thing throughout the year. Why do it all at once? The stores are crowded, kids are everywhere, lines are long, people are pushy. Maybe we all secretly thrive on the energy of knowing that all of these other deranged people are procrastinators just like us. I think it is the challenge of finding the perfect gift.

I don't know why I even bother trying to shop as I always wind up doing what I said I was going to do...I make gifts...and then I wind up doing something that I said I wasn't going to do...I never give the gifts. Take last year for example. I made a bunch of glass soap dishes. I had planned to make the soap too. Of course I never made the soap as I "didn't have time". I think I spent just as much time (if not more) searching high and low for the perfect soap. I never found a soap that I liked (that wasn't like 10 bucks) and never gave the dishes. How lame it that? I mean, who really would have cared if the soap wasn't the "perfect" soap? It was really about the dish anyway. Besides, the soap would run out in a few months and they could (and would) buy whatever fucking soap they wanted after that.

No soap dishes or soap were given in 2004.

This year is looking like a repeat of last year. I already made the gifts and they don't rely on another item to make them complete. Now if I can only get over the hurdle of finding the perfect way to wrap these gifts.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the joys of winter and my cold nose. And watch Charlie Brown tonight.